Apparatus for decorticating wheat and other grain



Witnesses (No Model.)

J. GORNWELL.

Apparatus for ,Deoort-icating Wheat and other Grain.

No. 238,489. Patented March 8, i881.

Inventor NZP ETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

JACOB CORNWELL, OF

PATENT CADILLAC, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,489, dated March 8,1881. Application filed November 3, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB GoRNwELL, of Cadillac, in the county ofWexford and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Machines for Decorticatin g Wheat and other Grain and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which Figure1 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the center of themachine. Fig. 2 represents afront elevation of the same, partly insection and Fig. 3 represents a rear view of that part of the machineused to dampen the grain.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

It is well known to all practical millers engaged in the manufacture ofwheat flour, that it is impossible to make a strictly pure white flour,in consequence of the fine particles of the outer coating of the hull orbran of the berry, and the fuzz and fiber attached thereto becomingmixed with the starchy and glutinous portion of the berry during theprocess of grinding or crushing, and that various ma chines-such asbolting-reels or middlingspurifiers are now employed for the purpose ofremoving such light particles of bran from the chop or meal after theberry has been ground or crushed, or from the middlings after beingseparated from the superfine flour and bran by bolting, but which do notfully accomplish the desired result.

The object of my invention is to remove from the berry the outer anddark portion of the hull, and the fuzz thereto attached, prior togrinding or crushing, and so that the remaining portion of the hullshall be less liable to deteriorate the color of the flour, and therebyimprove the color and quality of wheat flour, and increase the quantityof first-grade flour; and to that end my invention consists in theconstruction and combination of the several parts of the machine, ashereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings, A represents the frame, which may be made of anydesirable material and dimensions that will receive and sustain theoperating parts of the machine.

B represents a metal cyli rder, preferably in the form of a truncatedcone, provided with teeth a, and C represents a metal casing surroundingsaid cylinder and provided with teeth t. The length of the cylinder toits casing is such that when mounted in its proper position on itsshaftw it leaves a space or chamber, i, below its base, and a chamber,2', above its top.

To the shaft of the cylinder are attached a series of arms or sweeps, s,in the chamber '5, and in the chamber 1' are in like manner attached aseries of arms, 1". A plate or disk, q, is suspended at a short distanceabove the arms r by a lever, f, fulcrumed at y, and which lever isforked and attached to the pivots ot' the collar attached to the plateq, and by which the plate han gs freely suspended, and is guided in itsvertical motion by the shaft of the cylinder B.

To the outer end of thelever f is attached a rod, 0, made adjustable byscrews, and to the upper end of said rod is attached a valve, 01, whichopens and closes the tube N.

The upper end of the shaft of the cone is provided with a bevel-gearing,G, preferably made a friction-gear, and on the shaft D thereof ismounted a hollow cylinder, D, a portion ofwhich-the en d nearest thebevel-gearin g-is either perforated with holes 0 or else made ofwire-cloth. Around this perforated part is placed a conical jacket, E,which is attached to the cylinder D at its outer end. Under the open endofthejacketEis placed a drip-trough, K. The shaft D is mounted upon thestandards J and I, the latter of which is divided at its center, and thelower part thereof, 1, is bored out from its top and provided with acoiled spring, 0, upon which rests the tenon of the part I fittingtherein.

To the part I is attached a cam-lever, M, working against a pin, 1), on,I.

The rear end of the cylinder D is provided with a fixed annular disk,at, thus forming a flange around the interior end thereof, and anopening, at, through it,: through which. are passed the tubes N and 0.Grain is passed through the tube N into the cylinder D, and

water through the pipe 0, the end of which maybe provided with a rose,w. The open end of the cylinder D has a hood, F, covering both it andits conical jacket E, the lower end or side of which is formed into achannel or spout, f, long enough to reach and telescope into the uprighttube 1, attached to the plate q, and through which an opening is madeinto the chamber below.

Through the bottom of the casing or jacket 0 is an opening, h, guardedby a slide-valve, 0, and which may be opened and closed by a screw, m.To the screw on are attached fiXed collars n between which works theplate or bar a, the upper end of which works between two nuts, n, ontherodp, which passes through a box, j, and is secured to the movableblock 9, forming a part of the casing O. WVithin the box j is placed acoiled spring, 7:, which presses against the block g, the box j beingfastened to the platform upon which the casing or jacket 0 rests. Underthe opening h is placed a spout, L.

The cylinder 13 is revolved at the desired speed by means of thebevel-gear H, which gives motion to all the other connected parts of themachinery, before described.

The cylinder D may, if desired, be made conical with its wide endentering the head F.

The jacket E need not be attached to and form a part of the drum D, butmay surround the lower half thereof, so as to catch the drip through thescreen '0.

lhe operation of my machine is as follows, viz: Grain is spouted from abin or hopper through the tube N into the interior of the cylinder D,which falls upon the closed part thereof, and where it is then moistenedfrom the sprinkler w, supplied with water from the pipe 0. Motion havingpreviouslybeen given to the machinery, the grain byits own gravity andmotion within the cylinder D will roll forward upon the perforated orscreen part '1 and there drain off all superfluous water which is caughtby the jacket E and conveyed into the conductor or drip-trough K. Thegrain thus constantly filling in from the spout moves forward until itreaches the end of the cylinder D, from which it falls into the spout f,and passes through the tube Z into the chamber under the plate g on topof the revolving cylinder B, and from which it falls between thecylinder 13 and its easing G, where, by the attrition given by themotion of the machinery and of the kernels of grain upon each other, andupon the teeth t and u, the grain is decorticated or stripped of itsouter hull or dark and woody portion, and the fuzz and fiber theretoattached, after which it falls into the chamber 45-, which soon fillsup, and where the berry receives further attrition through the motion ofthe arms 8, so as not only to rub off the loose hanging skins, but toentirely clean and polish it, after which it falls through the opening hinto the spout L. When the valve 0 is not opened sufficiently,

so that the grain cannot pass out as fast as it is fed, the grainpresses and crowds against the loose block g, and moves it outward, andwhich, being connected to the screw m by means of the plate or bar it,carries the valve 0 out with it, which thus automatically opens thevalve 0 and causes the discharge of the surplus accumulated in thechamber i. As the grain passes into the chamber 2' under the plate q itsoon accumulates and fills it up faster than it passes between the teetht u, and thereby causes the plate to rise and opcrate the lever f,which, in turn, closes the valve d in the spout N.

The object of the spring 0 in the post I is to keep the contact edges ofthe bevel-gears G from pressing too heavily, and is so regulated as atall times to press heavily enough, for as the grain accumulates in thecylinder D it depresses the shaft D, and so requires more force to turnit, which is secured by the increased friction on the bevel-gears G.

When the cam-lever M is turned up it raises the shaft D and entirelyreleases the friction of the gears G and the cylinder D, and all themachinery connected with it stands still. The grain then soonaccumulatesin a pile before the end of the spout N, and stops allfurther flow, while at the same time the cylinder 13 may be in motion,thus cleaning out all the grain below.

After the wheat has passed through the herein-described decorticatin gmachine the berry is separated from the bran, fuzz, and fiber by passingit through any well-known separating or brush machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a decorticating-machine, thecombination, with the cylinder B, provided with teeth u and sweeps 1 ands, mounted upon the shaft :1 of the casingG, provided with teeth t,chambers t and i, and opening h, provided with Valve 0, attached to andoperated by the block g, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a decorticating-machine, the combination, with the cylinder B,provided with teeth a, and mounted upon the revolving shaft 00, andeasing 0, provided with teeth t, of the plate q, lever f, and adjustablerod 0, operating the valve d in the spout or tube N, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

3. In a decorticating-machine, the combination, with the cylinder B,provided with teeth a, and mounted upon the revolving shaft w, casing 0,provided with teeth t, chamber 6, and opening h, of the plug or block g,spring 70, rod 19, connecting-bar n, screw m, and valve 0, whereby theattrition and discharge of the grain is automatically regulated,substantially as shown and described.

at. In combination with a decorticating-machine, substantially as shownand described, the hollow and perforated cylinder D and jacket E,mounted upon the revolving shaft D, having bearings in standards J andI, D, having bearings in standards J, and adbevel-gear G, cam-lever M,and pin b, substan- 1o justable standard I, and spouts N, O, and f,tially as shown and described.

substantially as shown and described.

5 5. In combination with a decorticating-ma- JACOB CORNWELL' chine,substantially as shown and described, Witnesses: the hollow andperforated cylinder D and N. OOWLES,

jacket E, mounted upon the revolving shaft WM. ZIMMERMAN.

